C2o—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 18,1980
WASHINGTON, D.C. -
Fair weather provided
excellent harvest conditions
in most of the United States
last week, while rain
hampered the harvest in
parts of the Soviet Union,
according to a weekly report
issued Monday by the Joint
Agricultural Weather
Facility of the U.S.
Departments of Commerce
and Agriculture.
Highlights of the report
follow.
United States. The warm
weather in the West and cool
temperatures in the East
aided die harvest and fall
field work in most regions.
In the Southeast, however.
HARRISBURG - Penn
sylvania’s farmers enjoyed
six days of good weather for
fieldwork during the week
ending October 6, with ac
tivities centering on fall
harvest and planting, ac
cording to the Pennsylvania
Crop Reporting Service.
Vegetables, fruits,
potatoes, com, soybeans and
ensilage corn harvest
continued, as did hay baling,
pasture clipping, silo filling,
plowing and general farm
chores.
Apple and grape harvest
are progressing, with cool
weather giving good color to
apples. Potato harvest is
now 82 percent complete
statewide, compared to 80
percent a year ago. Northern
operators reported harvest
at 77 percent central far
mers reported 86 percent
harvested and southern
farmers reported harvest at
95 percent complete.
Soybean harvest stands at
nine percent compared to
less than five percent last
year at this time. Traces of
harvest were reported in the
north and south, with nine
percent reported in central
counties.
Silage com harvest stood
at 80 percent statewide,
compared to 58 percent a
year earlier. Cbm for grain
is 58 percent mature
statewide, and 13 percent
harvested.
A year ago, com for grain
stood at 37 percent mature
and less than five percent
harvested, while the five-
Excellent harvest conditions reported in U.S.
.rainfall totals of one to three
inches slowed harvest ac
tivity from eastern Texas to
the Carolinas. This rain
benefited fall pastures and
helped counter the soil
moisture deficit.
Winter wheat, now
growing rapidly on a limited
moisture supply, needs more
rain to complete develop
ment before going into
dormancy.
Sub-freezing temperatures
were reported from the
Northern Great Plains to the
Ohio River Valley.
USSR. Above-normal
rainfall in the European
USSR limited harvest ac
tivities and probably in
terfered with winter grain
Fieldwork purrs along
due to good weather
year average shows 45
percent mature and six
percent harvested at this
time.
Fall plowing is at 80
percent complete, compared
to 82 percent a year ago.
Plowing is rated as 77 per
cent in the north, 86 percent
in central counties and 74
percent in the south.
Barley planting advanced
to 83 percent during the
week, on a par with 1979. The
north reported 92 percent,
central counties were at 97
percent and the south was 57
percent planted.
Wheat planting increased
MANHEIM - A 24-year
old Manheim R 3 resident
pleaded guilty Friday
morning in Lancaster
County Court to
setting two fires he helped to
fight as a member of the
Mastersonville Volunteer
Fire Co.
Dale Eugene Campbell
also pleaded guilty to tur
ning in five false alarms,
using either a CB radio or a
telephone.
A negotiated plea was
presented to Judge Ronald
L. Buckwalter but the judge
ordered pre-sentence in
vestigation prior to ac
cepting the plea bargain.
Under the negotiated plea
as it was presented, Camp
bell would be sentenced on
one arson charge to two and
sowing. Temperartures rice harvest, but soil was
remained below normal with ‘"becoming too dry for early
light frost occurring in the winter wheat sowing. Most
northern Ukraine. of the major cotton area in
Warmei and dnei
is needed to complete wheat
sowing and to allow suf
ficient early growth for the
plants to withstand the
winter cold.
Mexico. The rainy season
is ending prematurely over
the northwestern mountains,
leaving some reservoirs
abnormally low. Relativley
little rain has fallen in the
watersheds in the past few
weeks.
South Asia. Much of
northern India recieved no
rainfall last week. Dry.
to 70 percent compared to 53
percent at this time last
year. Wheat planting was at
83 percent in the north, 73
percent in central areas and
41 percent in the south.
Third cutting of alfalfa
advanced to 94 percent
statewide, compared to 92
percent last year. Fourth
cutting advanced to 56
percent, trailing last year’s
61 percent.
Hay made during the week
was rated good to fair across
the state. Feed from pasture
was rated below average to
average. Pasture in the
north was rated 40 percent
below o'wqEre to 60 percent
Fireman pleads guilty
a half years in prison and
assessed $lOO and costs and
restitution. On the second
arson, he would get 10 years
probation, costs and
restitution, and for the false
alarms, five years
probation, costs and
restitution, all to be con
current.
Trooper Dennis Gerhart,
state police fire marshal,
told the court that on Feb. 28
at 12:58 a.m., Campbell set
fire to a pile of papers out
side a house owned by the
Wissahickon Water Co.,
Manheim R 3, where he was
employed as a laborer. The
first caused $75,000 damage.
On March 13, Gerhart
west central India remained
dry.
China. A band of near
normal rainfall across the
southern portion of the
winter wheat belt main
tained soil mositure, but
areas to the north received
little or no moisture. In the
northeastern coastal areas
of Shandong and Hebei, soils
are too dry for early wheat
growth, but this is a minor
production area.
Australia. Dry weather
continued to plague the
winter wheat areas of
average. Central pastures
were reported as 80 percent
below average and 20 per
cent average while pasture
feed in the south was 88
percent below average to 12
percent average.
Soils on Pennsylvania
farms are rated mostly short
to adequate. Northern
farmers rate the soils as 40
percent short to 60 percent
adequate while central and
southern farm operators
rated soils as 100 percent
short.
All farm fuels were rated
adequate to surplus across
the state.
said, Campbell set fire to a
barn on the property of
Minnie Ober, located along
Route 72 north of Manheim
in Rapho Township. Damage
was estimated at $lOO,OOO,
Gerhart said.
The false alarms, ac
cording to Gerhart, were
called in between Feb. 9 and
April 26.
Trooper Gerhart said that
Campbell “arrived at the
scene after the fires were
discovered and helped to
fight file fires.” He also said
he thought that Campbell
was “remorseful now.”
Campbell will be sen
tenced after the presentence
report is completed.
Queensland, New South
Wales and much of West
Australia. Some - shower
activity took place along the
southern portions of Victoria
and substantial rain fell in
South Australia, benefiting
the crops in those areas.
South America. Rain
needed for winter wheat
growth fell on the crop areas
of Buenos Aires, Entre Rios
and Santa Fe Province last
week, but the provinces of
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La Pampa and
remained dry.
Rain is needed for crop
development in Argentina
South Africa. Early season
rainfall has provided
favorable conditions for
maize sowing and early
development in the plateau
region of the Transvaal and
Orange Free Stae. A major,
portion of South Africa’s
maize crop is grown in this
area.
C.M.HI«HCO.
320KimSt
Myorttown. PA 17057
Phone- 717-MC-7544
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